


Come With Me, Sweetheart

by MadiMayhem798



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-05-27 19:40:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6297541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadiMayhem798/pseuds/MadiMayhem798
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to the Captive Prince college!au which nobody asked for.</p>
<p>Imagine Vere as a frat house. Now imagine Akielos as their rival. That's it, that's the story. Told from Laurent's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beta Rho

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to my friend Hayley for beta reading this work. Your editing skills are amazing. Thank you for putting up with my late night brainstorming, it frustrated us both.
> 
> To clarify, the names of the fraternities in this fic aren't designed to bear any similarity to actual fraternities/sororities, it just worked out that way.

He vaguely recalled doing this only six weeks ago. Laurent had moved into the dorms at the beginning of the semester, and now he was doing everything over again. He’d managed to strike a 4.0 on his midterms. Those in his classes marvelled at the achievement. He didn’t share the same astonishment. He quickly realised that he needed a new set of peers.

The letter from Beta Rho Epsilon looked like it was engraved with gold. Not just a precious metal, but something old. Sacred and archaic in the same breath. They invited him to have lunch with them. They wanted him to join the frat, the president in particular wanted this for him. Laurent knew that he wouldn’t be given another opportunity to join the same house as Auguste if he turned them down. They knew how to stroke his ego and pride in his accomplishments.

So he was moving into the main house of Beta Rho Epsilon, a new pledge waiting to be taken. His new brothers—that terminology was awkward and foreign on his tongue—helped him with his console, works of fiction and especially his books.

‘Are you a psychology major?’ one of them asked him. He carefully balanced the box in the palm of his hands and walked up the stairs.

‘Yes. How did you know?’ Laurent said.

‘Firstly, whenever someone’s invited in by the president, we all know what they’re studying pretty quickly,’ he said. ‘Secondly, I’m helping you carry your textbooks upstairs.’

Laurent grasped for the guy’s name, but came up with nothing. They made it to the landing then shuffled themselves carefully towards Laurent’s new bedroom. ‘Sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name?’

‘Jord,’ he said, holding out his hand.

Laurent returned the gesture. He turned to observe his new habitat, as confined to cardboard as it was. ‘So, who does the other bed belong to?’

‘That would be me,’ Jord said. He had a grin on his face that was completely innocent.

Laurent didn’t think he could look at it for longer than a few seconds. ‘Well, treat me gently. I’m still a freshman.’

Jord sat down on his side of the room, offering Laurent the comfort of his own bed. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll look out for you. They usually put newbies with an older member of the frat to get them used to the environment.’

Laurent stayed in the doorframe. ’So, you’re here to help me acclimatise?’ he asked. He didn’t know if Jord was joking with him or not.

‘Hey, people are going to be expecting a lot from you, pledge. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the study demands or just figuring out how to work the stove downstairs, I’m your guy.’ Jord said. His voice was colloquial. It was at odds with the ancient attitude of everyone else in the house. Laurent decided he was lucky.

‘Thank you,’ he said.

‘Do you need anything right now?’ Jord asked.

‘Is there a study group for psychology majors here?’ Laurent said.

‘Sure is. Times are put on the notice board in the entranceway and also online,’ Jord said. ‘You’ll fit in just fine if you’re already asking about that.’ Jord stood, giving him a reassuring look. There were other pledges moving into the house.

Laurent decided that his own muscle mass could only cope with his belongings. He looked around his side of the room and to all of his possessions packed up nice and neat. ’Start with the books.’

Monday morning came and with it a Google search of the quickest route to his morning classes on campus. It was a longer walk than the dorm he’d been in, but he’d anticipated that. He started walking sooner than he’d had to, bringing some notes to revise when he got there earlier than needed. There were so many other fraternity and sorority houses along the streets between Beta Rho and campus. Most of them seemed fairly small and discreet—close groups of friends organising, that sort of thing—until he spotted the letters AKL displayed across the top floor of one of the largest houses he’d seen.

If his Greek was accurate, which it usually was, that was Alpha Kappa Lambda. A few people were walking out of it on their way to classes. They looked like gym addicts, but Laurent also knew that could have been a naturally occurring phenomenon which he was not fated to have. They looked towards Laurent, saying something to one another.

Laurent was a tightly wound string of anxious thought at the best of times. Having three very large men quite possibly comment on his existence made this incredibly apparent to the casual observer. He began walking again. He had no idea why he stopped in the first place. He had classes to go to and professors to listen to. He did not have time to look at a big house and worry about what three toned meatheads had to think about him.

The next day, it happened again. He would pass by Alpha Kappa and feel eyes on him. The day after, a cold snap ran across the campus. He wore his Beta Rho jumper. Jord got it for him as a good sign that he’d make it into the frat. The staring got worse, so much worse. He went from walking quickly past the residence to jogging rather awkwardly. He went back to his brisk pace after the stares got more intense.

This was ridiculous. Perhaps he was just imagining it, as part of being so unsettled for so long. He called his brother that Friday. It didn’t take him long to pick up the phone.

‘Hey, Auguste,’ he said.

‘Laurent, it’s so good to hear from you. How were your midterms?’ Auguste asked.

‘I hit a 4.0, so they were fine. Beta Rho invited me in,’ Laurent caught his brother up on the last two weeks of his life in two sentences. There was something dissatisfying about that.

‘Congrats, man. I knew you had what it took. Are you fitting in okay?’

‘Yeah, I have this really great roommate, he’s been showing me the ropes and everything. There is one thing, though,’ Laurent said. Auguste almost always had the answers to his questions and this was driving him mad. ‘Every time I walk past the Alpha Kappa main house almost everyone just stares at me.’

‘You don’t know, do you?’ Auguste asked.

‘Evidently not.’

‘Beta Rho and Alpha Kappa hate each other’s guts. They’ve had this rivalry going on for decades, I swear. You should avoid them if you can.’

‘You mean take a different route to class?’

‘Yeah, go with your roommate or another one of your brothers.’

‘But it cuts ten minutes off the walk.’

‘They’re beasts of men, Laurent. Trust me on this one,’ August stated.

Laurent knew there was no room to argue with him on this. ‘Alright, thanks for clearing that up.’

‘No problem. So, tell me which professors you’ve got.’

* * *

Rivalries be damned, it was the quickest way to campus. He was going to walk it anyway.

It was the hottest day in October and Laurent could feel it in his calves. They were tired, he was tired, the squirrels were tired, the trees that housed them were tired. It was one of those days. The library had air conditioning sufficient to freeze a snowman’s balls off, and Laurent had found a temporary oasis in his regular Saturday morning study group.

It was well into the afternoon by the time he made his way back home, making sure to miss the midday sun. He passed by Alpha Kappa, not bothering to slow down or speed up. Then he saw the cars lined up outside the front of it. There was a sign signalling a price and a large number of very sweaty men in very thin shirts. Just his luck, they were running a car wash. He stopped in his tracks.

There was one guy who had decided to wear a white shirt that day. It was soaked through with water and suds and probably sweat too. He may as well have not been wearing a shirt at all. His rich brown curls clung to the back of his neck— _oh god, his neck_. His skin dark olive, he looked magnificent when wet. He leaned over the hood of the car he was working on. Every muscle in his back rippled underneath his skin, creating a display of human anatomy like no other.

Laurent had always been comfortable with his sexuality. More specifically, comfortable with his homosexuality. Between the pressure to get into a good college and, well, just that, it became a blissful non-issue. This man who, of course, was a member of a rival frat, was an aggressive reminded of his tendencies towards other men. Despite the view, Laurent felt incredibly unlucky. He’d attended college for a whole two months and this person was the one he found attractive. A nemesis frat member.

He approached the house before he knew what he was doing. An enthusiastic looking pledge walked towards him and Laurent still didn’t know what he was doing. He’d been warned against this, and by Auguste for that matter.

‘Hey, wanna make a donation?’ the guy said. He had thick sunglasses on yet squinted.

‘What for?’ Laurent asked. He would have regretted his bluntness, but what did he care?

‘We’re raising money to build dwellings for the homeless.’

‘You’re shitting me.’ Laurent didn’t know if he’d heard something so cookie-cutter perfect.

‘We’ll be building them ourselves; we need money for the materials.’

Laurent looked over to the guy who’d caught his eye before. ‘Will he be part of the construction process?’

‘Damen? Yeah, he’s planning to. He always helps out,’ the guy said. He looked hopeful.

Someone had to be fucking with Laurent somewhere in this situation. This scenario belonged to an amateur romance novel. Damen looked like he’d sprung to life from a marble statue of an Adonis. He volunteered and made a difference in a concrete way. People respected him, or at least this guy gave that impression. He was part of a fraternity rivalling his own. Write that down as the crime of the century.

‘You know, at Alpha Kappa, we pride ourselves on the diversity of our members. If you catch my drift,’ the guy stated.

Laurent did not catch his drift. ’I’m going to give you twenty dollars and my number. I have one condition: you tell me when and where this construction happens so I can be there. Do we have a deal?’

* * *

They made their deal.

The guy collecting money told Laurent that the construction would occur around that time next week, as long as Alpha Kappa met their target for donations. If their pull on him had been any indication, he assumed that would be the case.

On the Thursday that week his phone chimed. He paused his reading of the textbooks splayed across his desk and checked it. He didn’t recognise the number, but it must have been the person he talked to outside the frat house on Saturday.

‘Hey, thanks for your donation. Join us this Saturday outside the house at noon for building. All volunteers welcome. Cheers, Nik.’

Laurent had no doubt that all would be welcome. A frat as picture perfect as that was bound to invite everyone who could possibly witness their near-divine generosity. He felt ill thinking about it.

It’s a moderately cool day, but Damen had his shirt off for the sweat. That was the first thing Laurent noticed. The second was Damen’s calves as he balanced himself on the stepladder. The third was his buttocks. The fourth was people giving Laurent sideways looks because he was staring at a member of their frat. Perhaps they weren’t used to admirers being male.

Damen looked something over. He must have decided to have a break. He walked to the porch of the frat house, pouring himself something cold to drink. Laurent seized the opportunity and walked over to him. He pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head, holding back his hair.

‘Hey there.’ Laurent sat down on one of the porch steps.

‘Hi. I’m Damen.’ He offered his hand.

Laurent took it and gave it a firm shake. ‘Laurent. Nice work you’re doing here.’

‘Pretty good on an afternoon like this.’

‘Spend half of it running to Home Depot or something?’

‘Yeah, we’ve got runners going all afternoon to make sure we keep pace.’ Damen took a sip of his drink. His eyes roamed over Laurent, quick enough not to be noticed.

‘You’re not cut out for that?’ Laurent shifted himself closer to Damen on the step.

‘I’m a senior, that’s freshman work.’ Damen smiled and Laurent felt part of himself falling in love that instant.

He couldn’t stop himself from staring at Damen. He wouldn’t look out of place being chased by hoards of women during an Adonis festival. Nor would he appear lost in the Parthenon.

‘Do I have paint on me?’ Damen glanced down to his chest, searching for marks.

‘What? No.’

‘You sure? You’ve gotta be staring at something.’

_Oh, but you are something_. Laurent looked over Damen’s figure to the construction recommencing. ‘They’re starting something over there.’

‘I gotta get back to it.’ Damen stood, gently placing his drink down on the step. Laurent was grateful that he saw Damen bend from the front. It was almost a religious experience.

‘Hold on a moment. Can I give you my number?’ He had no clue where that came from, but it was out there. This would end with Damen either thinking he’s brave or a complete creep. Perhaps both.

Damen paused. Laurent could see his thought process when he blinked: surprised, amused, curious.

‘Sure.’ Damen reached into his pocket and fetched his phone. He passed it to Laurent, ready to make a new contact. Laurent rushed to offer Damen the same, mistyping his own number a few times before his hands would cooperate.

‘Thanks.’ Laurent made sure his phone saved the data where it should be.

‘You’re a freshman, right?’

‘Yeah.’ Laurent assumed there was a nervous energy about him that gave it away.

‘If you ever need any study tips or anything, tell me. Okay?’

‘Okay.’

Damen walked back to the construction site and continued working on the miniature house. Laurent was in disbelief over his luck. He’d gotten Damen’s number, and he hadn’t gone through a third party to get it. He stood up from the porch of the Alpha Kappa frat house and began his journey back to Beta Rho.

His thoughts wandered back to what Damen had said. Could he really be taken seriously with study advice? He was a senior, but one from Alpha Kappa. The last thing they’re known for is academic excellence. _If they were they might’ve ended up like Beta Rho_. He’d have to keep the number, regardless of Damen’s intentions or skill.


	2. Alpha Kappa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damen invites Laurent to his frat's Halloween party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Hayley for beta reading this and dealing with a 3 week hiatus. Also, apologies for this chapter being much later than I'd planned. I got sick and stressed, then sick again.

Not much time passed before Laurent got to test Damen’s mettle. The air around the campus chilled to a crispness that can only be associated with a morning person; it was nearly November. Laurent had been so caught up with an oncoming stream of assessments and readings he hadn’t even noticed it was almost Halloween.  
  
Damen, however, did. Laurent spent the better part of a week hoping that Damen would have the sense to contact him first, so that he didn’t have to summon the confidence he’d exhausted on obtaining his phone number. He never communicated these anxieties to anyone, not even Auguste. His phone chimed in the familiar manner he’d half blocked from his attention.  
  
It was Damen. Alpha Kappa were hosting a Halloween party (of course they were) and Damen was inviting Laurent along (of course he was).  
  
‘I’m 18 and don’t drink.’ Laurent was quick with his reply.  
  
‘I can sneak you in. You don’t have to have anything.’  
  
‘I refuse to wear a costume.’  
  
‘It’ll make you look like you’ve snuck in if you don’t, but alright.’  
  
Laurent looked at his screen and wondered who in the hell Damen was to say those things.  
  
‘I’ll go casual too.’ Always the gentleman.  
  
Laurent took a moment to contemplate his answer. He could go, and very easily have a good time talking to Damen. He could get to know him better. Damen could be offering a chance to do so. ‘I’ll be there at 8.’  
  
‘Meet me at the back gate. Sneaking in and all that.’  
  
‘Fine.’ Laurent turned his phone off at that point. He wanted to ensure he didn’t go back on his word.  
  
He couldn’t pick what Damen might want out of him being at the party. Did he just want to make a friend? Was he trying to form an alliance between their fraternities? Maybe he was overestimating Damen.

* * *

Laurent could hear the music before he could see the house.  
  
He’d decided to go with normal clothing, though casual for him. Tight jeans, loose shirt, shoes pointed in the direction he hoped the night would go in. He’d picked up a pumpkin mask during the day on campus. That was Laurent’s idea of a costume.  
  
He took his position at the back fence of Alpha Kappa, being sure to look at his phone. Laurent waited, trying to appear busy rather than waiting for someone he finds too attractive to be psychologically healthy. He sent Damen a quick text, letting him know he was exactly where he was supposed to be.  
  
Damen arrived a few moments later, poking his head around the gap made by the open gate. ‘Laurent?’  
  
Laurent gave him a small wave of his hand, shoving his phone deep into his pocket. Damen rushed over, looking around the empty streetscape.  
  
‘You look frazzled,’ Laurent commented. Damen looked better than that; he looked like he didn’t know how tight his shirt was. He probably didn’t.  
  
‘I don’t make a habit out of this.’ Damen gestured for Laurent to follow him.  
  
He ventured into the rabbit hole of the Alpha Kappa backyard, noticing it was mostly empty. The people present weren’t exactly, well, present. Damen had picked his moment well. He shut the gate behind them, giving Laurent a cautious look before approaching the house.  
  
‘How big is this party, anyway?’ Laurent asked, walking faster than he’d have liked to catch up with Damen.  
  
‘Bigger than I thought it would be. A lot of freshmen on campus heard about it.’  
  
‘And who snuck them in?’  
  
Damen glanced back at him, shrugging his shoulders. Laurent suspected that his age wasn’t the reason he wasn’t invited through the front door. However, he was sure that Damen hadn’t a clue about his fraternity. The kitchen had a back door. Past there it was wall-to-wall people, cramped next to each other.  
  
 _I didn’t think this through_. Damen paused at the door to grab something, raising his eyebrows and grinning at Laurent. There was mischief in that smile. He held the ghost mask up to his face, fastening it to his head. Laurent felt desperate to say something, any witty comment he could muster. Damen slid the mask up to the top of his head, pushing his hair back from his face and the opportunity was lost. _How did he get more handsome?_  
  
They moved into the main part of the house, Laurent reaching for Damen’s arm every so often. After they made their way through the dining room, Damen made Laurent’s job a whole lot easier and held his hand as they weaved between drunken and dancing bodies. Laurent thought he might short circuit. He calmed down, thinking about how pragmatic and polite Damen’s intentions likely were. He probably wasn’t even into other men.  
  
Quintessential-looking frat members passed them by with drinks on a tray. Damen waved them past, sometimes pointing at a group that looked too sober to be enjoying themselves. Laurent was halfway convinced that he was far too sober to want to be there too. But there was Damen, holding his hand, turning around to look at him and making sure he was okay. Something in that look compelled Laurent to see this through. His gut was telling him to go for it.  
  
The sound system was as established as a concert hall, and just as loud. The track changed to something that compelled the crowd to roar in excitement. Before Laurent really knew what was happening, Damen was reaching for his free hand and jumping in synchronisation with the crowd. He quickly got the rhythm, following along as best as he could. He wasn’t about to quit his day job.  
  
Another two songs and he wanted to take a break. ‘Can we take a breather?’ he yelled into Damen’s ear over the next track. Damen nodded and began to push his way through the crowd again. They stumbled into the kitchen, struggling not to trip over themselves from the change in density from the crowd to open air.  
  
Damen opened the door leading to the backyard, looking back to Laurent in question. Laurent followed him out. Damen offered him a seat amongst some lawn furniture. Laurent was more than happy to take the chance to sit down. His legs were already sore and he was regretting his choice of shoes.  
  
‘Are you having fun?’ Damen regained his breath, and Laurent locked away the image of his chest cooperating with his lungs. His shirt was still too tight and he still didn’t realise it at all. ‘This is your first college party, am I right?’  
  
‘Sadly, yes. I am having a good time, though.’ Laurent took advantage of the newfound space that he had around his body, relaxing in the plastic chair.  
  
Damen sat, comfortable in the short silence. Laurent decided that he was also content in nothing being said between them for a little bit. He wasn’t intimidated by a little void in a conversation. Damen shifted his chair so it was closer to Laurent’s. ‘I’m really glad you came out here tonight.’  
  
‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were into guys.’  
  
‘Well yeah, but I do prefer girls. Doesn’t matter a whole lot to me.’  
  
Laurent had no idea what to do with that information. Where to start processing that? The fact that Damen had come out to him as bisexual—presumably bi, at least? The fact that he was so open about it? Or that he hadn’t denied the strong implication that he was flirting with Laurent?  
  
‘What about you? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.’  
  
‘Girls are great but I am very gay.’ That was the honest to god best his leading-student-in-his-course brain could muster.  
  
Damen laughed, the sound rising from deep in his gut. Laurent was relieved. Red and blue flashed from the side of the house and soon after, the sound of sirens blared along the street.  
  
‘Shut down this early?’ Damen rose from his seat, peering around the side of the house to see how many vehicles had been called out. ‘Only one, not too bad.’  
  
‘Party’s over?’ Laurent fetched his phone from his pocket. It wasn’t even half past nine.  
  
‘Can I walk you home?’ Damen gestured to the back gate. Now the front door really wasn’t an option.  
  
‘I live at the Beta Rho main house.’ Laurent stood and shifted his weight between his feet.  
  
‘Oh, that’s weird.’  
  
‘How so?’  
  
‘You come across as a pretty nice guy.’  
  
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Laurent faked his outrage.  
  
‘It sure does explain a heck of a lot.’  
  
‘Okay, what does that mean?’ His outrage was not facade this time.  
  
‘Don’t worry, I don’t mean anything by it.’ Damen opened the gate and Laurent followed. The police would be making their way through the house. They wouldn’t appreciate people just hanging around the back, even if Damen lived there.  
  
The kitchen door opened with a loud thud. Laurent quickly pressed himself as close to the fence, thankfully solid and wooden. He hadn’t realised he was pressing himself up against Damen at the same time.  
  
‘Anyone out here?’ one officer called.  
  
Laurent held his breath, but his heart raced. His arms rested against Damen’s chest. He only now realised how broad and dense it was. Damen was looking down at him. Not angry or even confused, instead slightly contemplative. Laurent heard the creak of the door as it closed. He didn’t move from against Damen, frozen in uncertainty and indecision. He looked up at Damen for clues to how he should react.  
  
He expected Damen to politely push him away and say that they should get going. Instead, Damen leaned in, bringing his lips to Laurent’s. His hand graced the back of Laurent’s head in a guiding but by no means forceful touch. The logical part of his brain threw in the towel. He reached up, cupping Damen’s jaw. Laurent kept himself there, not letting his mind trick him into thinking it was anything other than what it was. He pulled away at what he hoped was an appropriate time and stepped back from the uncomfortable position on his toes.  
  
‘That was, well… interesting.’ Laurent tried his best to keep his body language open, but he was already feeling embarrassed.  
  
‘Um, if you want, I can still walk you home,’ Damen offered. ‘Or you can stay over.’ He looked like he caught himself saying something taboo. ‘Whatever’s the most comfortable.’  
  
‘I should walk home.’ Laurent was shifting his feet again and hating himself for it.  
  
‘Oh, sure,’ Damen said.  
  
‘But you’ve got my number. Call me sometime.’ Laurent gave Damen an awkward— _so awkward, oh god_ —nod and walked towards the Beta Rho main house.  
  
‘Sure,’ Damen called from the fence.


	3. Think About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurent gets the opportunity he wants to speak to Damen again, but doubt creeps into his psyche.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took 3 weeks to post. I had the chapter done at the end of last week, the rest was my beta reader. Super duper thanks to Hayley for making suggestions on this chapter, sorry for so many typos. It's what happens when you rush a first draft.

Giddy pride filled him to his ears. The clicked into place, allowing him entry into the Beta Rho house. The sound was too soft for him to hear it, so used to the booming music from the party. Laurent couldn’t get his mind off Damen. He doubted he wanted to. He stepped into the entranceway, being sure to remain quiet.

‘And where were you?’ A voice called from the top of the stairs.

Laurent winced, shushing whoever it was. He looked up. Jord. Of course his own roommate would notice his absence. He should have thought it through more. Actually, he shouldn’t have had to think it through in the first place. He was free to do what he pleased, within legal and ethical limitations.  
  
‘If you were at that party, I hope you’re happy with yourself.’ Jord had his arms crossed. Laurent hadn’t noticed how broad his chest was before now.  
  
‘Keep your voice down.’ Laurent ascended the stairs, looking around the upper level of the house. If the juniors or seniors discovered his rendezvous with Damen, he didn’t know if he could persuade them to let him stay. There was always a chance he could charm or outwit anyone if he put his mind to it. However, he was tired and wanted nothing more than the comfort of his sheets.  
  
‘We called the cops out to Alpha Kappa, Laurent.’ Jord followed him like a trained guard, though if Laurent were to have a guard, he wouldn’t tolerate the amount of mouthing off Jord was providing.  
  
‘It’s not even eleven. What reason could you have for calling the police?’ Laurent turned. If Jord wanted to have this conversation on the landing of the second floor, then that was where they were going to have it.  
  
Jord pulled him into their shared bedroom then shut the door gently. ‘They’re savages.’  
  
Laurent waited for him to make his argument against Alpha Beta. The silence lingered. ‘That’s not a reason to break up a perfectly in-control party.’  
  
‘Clearly I’m not going to sway you on this. Don’t let it happen again, alright? I’m not going to cover for you all the time.’ Jord sat on his bed, looking like he wanted to go back to sleep as soon as possible.  
  
‘Fine.’ Laurent opened a chest of drawers and fished his bedclothes from them. He was perfectly content going to bed angry.  
  
His body clock woke him at six the next morning. His stubbornness kept him in sweet slumber until half past the hour. Sunday. Prep day. His whole week would be founded on how much work he did between sunrise and sunset.  
  
Laurent threw himself into it. Jord would appreciate the redemptive effort if nothing else. Come Monday, he was into his usual swing of things, as if the party had never happened. The exception was that he checked his phone almost constantly. His battery never ran out so fast.  
  
Walking from one building to another in between classes, his phone buzzed. Finally, something akin to a social life. Damen wanted to have lunch. Laurent grinned. He felt the same giddiness as before float through his lungs.

* * *

They chose a cafe. There was always a plentiful supply of them on any campus, and it wasn’t out of the way for either of them. Damen suggested one, specialising in single-origin coffee beans. Laurent didn’t particularly mind, but it helped him form an image of Damen: socially conscious in almost all of his actions. When he arrived, there was no sign of Damen. Laurent felt silly for looking so obvious in waiting for someone, but he wasn’t the first and probably wouldn’t be the last. Besides, Damen had always kept his word.  
  
He ordered for himself and took a seat near the back. The one advantage of showing up on time to something when the other person’s late is that you get the booth seat. He placed his textbooks down, revising what he had already learned twice. There were a few people reading novels; he didn’t see much of a difference.  
  
‘This seat taken?’  
  
Laurent looked up. It was Damen. He was flustered— _yes, I’d like to make a deposit in the spank bank, please_ —he must have been rushing to get there. ‘Go ahead.’  
  
‘Sorry I’m late. I had class on the other side of campus.’ Damen pulled up a chair and sat down.  
  
‘Don’t worry about it.’ Laurent closed his books. The waitress brought his sandwich and mocha and set it down on the table.  
  
‘Food, right. I should go do that.’ Damen dug into his bag and pulled out his wallet. It was simple leather, but thick with what Laurent assumed to be cards.  
  
Laurent giggled to himself. He watched Damen order. He was polite, cordial, and the female staff all had smiles on their faces. Damen was acting around them like he would act around anyone. He just had that effect on people.  
  
The broad-backed student returned to their table. Laurent could feel people’s eyes on him. It was an interesting feeling after being so used to hiding in a crowd. Damen’s food arrived, meat-laden with an aroma of spice and flavour. Laurent had never been one to take notice of such small hints, but with Damen it was different. He wanted to know all of his details.  
  
‘What’s the matter?’ Damen raised the first forkful of his food to his mouth. His teeth were fabulously white. The contrast to his skin even more so.  
  
‘People are staring at us.’ Laurent took a sip of his coffee.  
  
‘Seriously?’ Damen looked around the cafe. Laurent wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t as observant as himself. ‘I don’t see why they’d be looking at us.’  
  
Laurent thought he was joking, then soon realised that Damen was definitely not joking in the slightest. ‘We’re a mismatched pair, wouldn’t you think?’  
  
‘This campus is pretty LGBT-friendly, so no.’  
  
Laurent searched Damen’s face for any hint of humour and found none. People weren’t staring at them because they’re being pretty gay—two other couples were being pretty gay too—, they were attracting attention because the fraternity rivalry is well-known. ‘Yeah, I don’t know what it is, either.’  
  
They ate for a few moments. Laurent still had his textbook on the table. Closed, so he didn’t come across as rude. He was already awkward enough in person, he didn’t need the safety blanket of his book to knock back his prospects. _Why am I thinking about my chances here?_  
  
‘Do you have a test?’ Damen’s eyes flickered between Laurent’s own and the book.  
  
‘What?’  
  
‘Do you have a test that you’re studying for?’ Damen gestured to the closed text.  
  
‘Oh, no. I was revising for my next class.’ His instinct was telling him to move the book down to near his bag, suddenly a lot more nervous than he ought to have been.  
  
‘I’m not surprised. Beta Rho’s a harsh mistress, from what I’ve heard.’ Damen had an easy smile on his face. Laurent became more confident in his approach to things.  
  
‘My roommate’s been riding me since the party.’  
  
‘And not in the way you’d like?’  
  
‘Stop.’ Laurent raised his hand and gave a frown.  
  
‘This is a bit awkward, isn’t it?’ Damen paused his meal.  
  
Laurent couldn’t help but let some blood rush to his cheeks. Damen wasn’t being his usual confident self. He’d been allowed to see him somewhat vulnerable. ‘I’m coming across as tense, aren’t I?’ He adjusted his posture and tried his best to remedy the situation.  
  
‘No, not that. Though, now that you mention it.’ Damen cleared his throat. ‘Did I cross a line after we left Alpha Kappa?’  
  
Laurent thought back. He must have meant the kiss. ‘No, absolutely not.’ He stopped himself from ginning. ‘I’d wanted you to kiss me.’ _Hell, I want you to kiss me now._  
  
‘Really?’ Damen ran his hands over his face and through his hair. He kept looking gorgeous. Damn him.  
  
‘I kissed back, didn’t I?’ Laurent gave him a small concession of a smile.  
  
‘That you did.’ He took a deep breath and rested his hands to his sides. He was fidgeting.  
  
‘Say it,’ Laurent coached.  
  
‘Alright, you asked.’ Damen gave him a long look. His knee bounced as he sat. ‘Would you like to go out with me?’  
  
‘We’re already out.’  
  
‘I meant as my boyfriend. I’d like to start a relationship with you.’ Damen looked like he was trying to hide his face behind his eyebrows. Hopeful, but with a whirlpool of anxieties brewing in his head.  
  
‘You don’t know me at all.’ Laurent leaned back towards the booth.  
  
‘But the bits and pieces of your personality that I have seen I really like.’ Damen’s shoulders reached a comfortable position.  
  
Laurent didn’t know how he should react. There were so many things he should have been doing besides thinking about the possibility of having Damen as a boyfriend. He didn’t know the guy at all, not really. ‘Our frats hate each other, Damen.’  
  
‘So?’ His eyebrows raised.  
  
‘So, we both live there. Don’t pretend it won’t be difficult to move around.’ Laurent began talking with his hands.  
  
‘We’ll manage. Besides, Alpha Kappa are pretty open.’  
  
‘Damen, I’m on probation for a party. Imagine how they would react to me dating a member of the rival frat. Unlike you, I have to get along with these people for the next three and a half years.’ He was beginning to get frustrated.  
  
Damen glanced to his phone. ‘Look, I have to get to my next class any minute.’  
  
‘Wait a moment. I’m sorry if I’m coming off too forceful. I just want to know what I’m getting into. Surely you understand that.’ Laurent conceded.  
  
‘I do.’ Damen got up from his seat and hauled his bag onto his shoulders. The outline of a vein appeared on his bicep. ‘Just think about it, okay?’  
  
‘I will.’ Laurent watched him go, noting the way he held his arms when he walked. They had a purpose to them, never just hanging by his sides. Just the crusts of Laurent’s sandwich were left. He had a few minutes to sneak in some study before his next class. He glanced to his textbook by his bag and lifted it to rest of the table surface. For a moment he paused in thought, balancing his desires. He drove the spine into the bottom of his bag and stood from the table. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate like this, anyway. _Nice going, moron._


	4. Cinema

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chip in Laurent's doubt appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so sorry that it has taken so long for this chapter to be uploaded. Partially, my beta reader didn't return it to me until today, but I also haven't written anything new since I wrote the first draft of this chapter. So much has happened. I left one university and enrolled at another, moved back in with my parents, so much my goodness. Thank you for reading this chapter and coming back to this fic.

In his head, Laurent knew what he should do to repair whatever happened—he still wasn’t certain—with Damen with a calm, rational conversation. However, it was never as simple as just using his brain. Usually, he found people predictable. This was a core component of their charm. Damen had a serious lack of predictability, and it was not a discernible part of his allure. At least to Laurent it wasn’t. He realised that it was most probable that he would be able to understand Damen better with his notes in front of him while conversing. One of his textbooks would be bound to have something on infuriating young men.

He would need to study in Damen’s presence. His phone rested like an anxious woman on the plywood of his study desk: always ready but never prepared. Tapping out a quick study-session offer, Laurent swallowed a lump in his throat and begged his sweat glands to stay in control of themselves. The device buzzed, shattering what little hold he had on whatever he was reading.

‘I’d be happy to. Library?’ read Damen’s response. For once, he was being reasonable, if not predictable. This made him more unpredictable, much to Laurent’s infinite frustration.

‘Do you have room at Alpha Kappa?’ He didn’t want to face his own mind’s insecurities about how private the campus public spaces really were. This was especially since their lunch.

‘I can make room enough. When?’

‘How about now?’ Laurent’s heart stuttered, then found its rhythm as if embarrassed to have lost it in the first place.

‘Gimme 10 mins.’

‘Sure.’ He put his phone down, then picked it up again. He held the power button down until he was sure it was off. Embarrassment didn’t suit someone of his usual composure.

He arrived at the door, textbooks all arranged in his bag like logs ready for fire. Laurent was determined to crack this guy, no matter what it took. He knocked gently. Nik answered the door, the surprised look on his face politely melting into unanticipated pleasure.

‘I’m here to see Damen.’ Laurent looked behind Nik to the staircase and other doorways in case Damen was already there.

‘Yeah, sure, come on in.’ Nik stepped aside.

At the top of the staircase Damen was pulling a shirt over his arms and head. No, don’t do that. Laurent swallowed, providing more friction than lubrication. Damen took languid steps down to the lower floor. Laurent met him halfway on the middle landing. When he was close enough, he could smell the musk of sleep cascading from Damen’s body. He took a moment too long to make sure he remembered the sensation of that discovery.

‘What do you need help with?’ Damen’s expression remained casual but not bored.

I need so much help right now. Laurent cleared his throat and his conscious mind. He was content with leaving his subconscious to itself in Damen’s presence. ‘Just wanted someone to study with.’

‘Ah, sure.’ Damen led the way to the upper floor of the house. He reached a fold-down ladder leading to an attic.

‘They keep you in the attic?’ Laurent asked. Damen climbed up to the third floor—well that’s certainly a butt—and offered his hand. Laurent reached his own hand out. ‘You didn’t tell me you had an evil stepmother.’

‘The bag.’ Damen kept his tone kind and forgiving. Like a senior talking to a freshman.

Laurent corrected himself, lifting the bag to reach Damen’s grip. He climbed the ladder and collected his luggage. The room was spacious and airy and not at all like an attic ought to be. There weren’t any hidden secrets in this one, just a college senior’s living space. A mattress big enough for maybe three people, or Damen plus a person of normal breadth, occupied the centre of the room. It had summer sheets buried beneath a thick quilt. The pattern was decadent compared to the sleek stylings of the rest of the space. Perhaps Damen had a relative who sewed.

‘I keep myself here. The whole room’s mine to do with as I wish.’ Damen gestured to the low coffee table he had set up with some cushions around the edges. It looked almost Japanese, but had a charming minimalism to it that was distinctly Greek. There weren’t any books on it.

‘I guess that’s a benefit of being a senior in a frat, huh?’ Laurent attempted to keep his voice light, but it was proving difficult with the realisation that he was standing in a very attractive man’s bedroom with that man’s attention fully upon him, waiting for an answer to his proposition. He made an attempt to appear as unflustered as possible. By the time he’d made it to the study area, his enthusiasm for keeping up appearances around Damen had significantly waned.

He got his notes and waited for Damen to sit opposite him with his own textbooks. Senior courses appeared as a mirage to Laurent: a symbol of doubtful hope.

He looked between his assignment guide—he was almost embarrassed to be using it—and Damen. It wasn’t a conscious decision to procrastinate. ’What are you doing?’

‘Statistics and anatomy.’ Damen flickered the pages open to a chapter title.

‘What?’

‘Neuroscience.’ He looked at Laurent, a distinct confusion in his face that Laurent found embarrassing. ‘I’m not going to just sit here and watch you.’

Laurent wished to bury his face in his book. He tried his best. He scavenged through his notes, hunting out the bits and pieces of information he would need to compose his report. Lost in academics and his own self-reprimanding thoughts, he forgot to use the time to figure Damen out. He was comfortable, though, and time vanished. Not in the sense that it flew, but that it never existed in the first place, unable to constrain their reality.

Damen reached to his ceiling and stretched his arms, subsequently stretching most of the muscles in his upper torso. How did this happen?

‘Want to have a lunch break?’ Damen asked. He stuck his pen in the crease between pages of his textbook.

‘Actually.’ Laurent spoke the word without knowing what he would continue with, or even if he wanted to speak at all. ‘About what you asked me at the cafe.’

‘You don’t have to give an answer right now.’ Damen leaned back slightly, opening his body language up for free interpretation. Laurent almost hated him for it.

‘I want to talk about it, it’s been bugging me. We haven’t known each other for long; plus the fraternities we’ve both pledged to hate each other. It doesn’t make sense for us to see each other.’ He felt like a child, all foolish and insecure and inherently pessimistic.

‘Laurent.’ Damen’s lips spilled the word like it was a fact obvious to him. Laurent felt exposed. ‘You’re sitting in the Alpha Kappa main house and nobody’s made a fuss. Nik was happy to see you.’

He lacked a convincing argument, so he made none back. ‘Look, I don’t think—.’

‘What do you want to do?’ Damen leaned forward, making intensely intentional eye contact. He was within reach, unprepared for whichever of Laurent’s whims was going to play out. ‘You haven’t told me what you want. That’s what I care about.’

Laurent looked at Damen, at the way he held himself in such a quiet composure. Confident without being overbearing, endearing but not sickly sweet. He’d spent enough time looking at his limbs and chest that he was finally noticing his eyes. There was an entire world in them, and Laurent was more curious and fascinated than he’d ever been in his life. ‘Yes.’

‘What?’

‘I want to go out with you.’

Damen smiled, and Laurent wished he could stop everything so he could catch it again, to stare a little longer. He leaned forward off his haunches and kissed Damen. He didn’t hesitate, wondering if his confidence would be mistaken for force. He wanted to in that moment, and Damen kissed back. Laurent felt dizzy, but reached his hand up to the back of Damen’s head, intertwining his fingers in Damen’s hair. Once he let go he wanted to do it all over again.

‘Okay,’ Damen said. A tinge of dusty pink appeared in his cheeks, easily disguised beneath his skin tone from a distance. ‘Stay until evening.’

‘Oh,’ Laurent said. He glanced down at his notes.

‘If you’re comfortable.’ Damen leaned back again, nervous this time. Laurent made him nervous. ‘Try not to overthink it. I want to spend time with you.’

‘Alright.’ Laurent was going to have to get used to Damen’s almost brutal simplicity. He didn’t have to play two games at once with him; what appeared on the surface was what lay underneath.

‘Cool. Want to watch something?’ Damen stood, taking his coursework with him. He placed it in a drawer without ceremony or much care about the place marker he’d left.

‘Sure. What do you feel like?’ Laurent marked and highlighted the content he would have to get through at another time. Unlike his notes, this was a new experience.

They decided on Big Hero 6. More accurately, Damen decided on the animation and Laurent didn’t feel himself in a position to disturb the peace. They situated his laptop in such a way as they could both see the screen and lounged on the mattress together, close but comfortable. Laurent was still tense. It only took ten minutes (and Damen’s tentative arm around his waist) for him to relax. It was nice, like they were together waiting for the chill of winter to arrive.

Damen cried. The first time, Laurent ignored it. He felt his own heart twinge in a few places, and paid it no mind. The second time, he offered a spot for Damen to console himself in. Dissatisfied with Damen’s response that it was just a sad movie and that he was fine now—for sure—, he focused on the steady rhythm of Damen’s chest as he breathed and the way their heartbeats worked together after some reluctance.

The third time, Laurent was seriously reconsidering his view of Damen as a tough guy. ‘Are you serious? You’ve seen this before, haven’t you?’ Laurent turned to face Damen, testing out little touches on his arms and sometimes, when Laurent was feeling foolish, on his lower abdomen, feeling the coarse friction of hairs that had been there for a while.

‘We’re not all made of stone, Your Highness.’ Damen reached towards his nightstand—a low chair—for tissues to wipe his face. From then on, that was Laurent’s name whenever he pushed the right buttons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are interested: the next chapter will come with a rating upgrade, so if you're not into that (which I suspect you are, but that's not for me to judge), now would be the time to stop reading or skip basically the whole rest of the fic.


	5. Marks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their usual routine develops into something everyone expected. This is where it becomes NSFW (it will be much more so later too), so if that's not your thing, I don't recommend this story from this chapter onward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been a year, I thought I'd better get around to posting THE chapter which I've been working on since March 2016. Enjoy, feedback and comments are appreciated as always.

The remaining week glided like metal along ice: with just enough friction to let you know gravity still applied. Laurent had a boyfriend. He studied on his own, then seated at Damen’s coffee table. He watched the creases in Damen’s forehead deepen when he was concentrating and learned that a certain rub of his face meant he wasn’t going to be productive for the rest of the day. That was his cue. They enjoyed afternoon films, huddled around Damen’s laptop screen. When Laurent didn’t know what he wanted to watch (he usually just wanted to keep Damen company on those days), Damen would drop a casual ‘Your Highness’ and he would choose within seconds. He had a boyfriend who wanted to be around him.

Damen wasn’t squeamish. Laurent insisted he wasn’t either, but he had barely withstood the test of the first season of Hannibal. By the time they reached the second season, he’d managed to acclimatise to the gore. The tone of the show was captivating. The near-sexual desire to consume one another, elegant. Damen’s hand slipped beneath the edge of his shirt, then around to his hip. Laurent stayed comfortable, his side leaning comfortably against Damen’s chest. His eyes stayed fixed to the screen. Lips brushed along the back of his neck where it met his shoulder, imprinting his skin with Damen’s and a hint of stubble. Damen’s hand discovered just below Laurent’s naval and found a lot of interest in the spot, lightly massaging circles there with his thumb.

Laurent reached for the laptop, pausing the show. He turned his attention to Damen. He never wondered what Damen might look like gazing up at him as if he were searching for an undiscovered star. He no longer had to. His face was welcoming and soft despite its hard lines. They stayed like that, making a loud decision in perfect silence. Laurent didn’t shy away. He wanted more of it. He didn’t know he did before seeing Damen’s pupils dilate as they made contact with every feature of his face. Damen didn’t feel his presence, he savoured him.

‘You want to do something, don’t you?’ Laurent asked. Neither of them broke eye contact.

‘I want to do a lot of things and not all of them I should,’ Damen said.

‘That’s the understatement of the century.’

‘I don’t want to push too hard, Laurent,’ Damen said.

He’d called Laurent by name before, but this was different. This was a plea. A spark scurried up his spine. ‘But you do want to push.’

‘Enough for you to know what I want, nothing more.’

‘You probably know why I’ve shirked the subject.’

‘I do.’

‘To be clear: I haven’t done anything before.’

‘I know.’

‘It’s not like I couldn’t get a boyfriend; I was busy.’

‘Of course.’

Laurent took a deep breath. Damen was leaving everything in his hands. He rested a hand on the centre of Damen’s chest, a rapid thump beneath it. He was in complete control. ’You want to take me into your hands, don’t you? Your mouth too, everything you can get your hands on.’

‘I only want to give you pleasure, not take anything which you don’t want to give.’ Damen gave a small smile. He placed his hand over Laurent’s on his chest.

Damn the beast, he could be dangerously gentle when he wanted.

‘Okay.’

‘Okay?’

‘Stop being such a girl scout before I throw up.’

Damen kissed him, crashing their lips together like he’d forgotten that they had all the time they wanted. Laurent moved his hands up to Damen’s jawline, making sure they slowed down the pace. He felt a hand tug at the back of his hair. The strands of blond came loose, resting just above one of his shoulders. Damen broke their kiss and looked at him again. The wandering look no longer present, all that remained was a downplayed awe.

Laurent had no clue how anyone could look at him like that.

Damen moved his chest closer, capturing Laurent’s breath with his lips once more. He crossed his legs underneath him, lifting Laurent further off the bed and into his lap. Damen wrapped his hands around his back, cradling him there for what seemed like an entire rotation around the sun. He shifted their weight, placing Laurent on the pragmatic covers.

Laurent thought his instinct would take over and force his legs together. Instead, he felt for the curls of Damen’s hair, anchoring him right where he wanted to be. Damen’s touches trailed down his neck and past his shoulder. His mouth stilled on the back of Laurent’s hand. None of his touches were the least bit possessive, Laurent realised. ‘You’re not going to propose, are you?’

Damen laughed and Laurent felt his chest expand. ‘If you want me to stop, you just have to ask.’ He moved his lips back to Laurent’s neck, caressing the skin there between them. Laurent shivered from the controlled heat of it. Damen reached behind him and fetched a pillow from the other end of the bed. Cooperating, Laurent lifted his head for Damen to place the cushioning beneath him. His hands reached for Damen’s biceps, ran along them and left goosebumps where he lingered. Breath and lips found the hollow of his throat. Fingertips graced under the hem of his shirt.

‘Wait,’ Laurent breathed.

Damen stopped before Laurent had formed his thought to fulfilment. He hovered over him. Laurent lifted himself up to brush his lips against Damen’s.

‘It’s a bit cold, isn’t it?’ he suggested. He felt the flush of blood from his cheeks to his chest. Damen didn’t need to know how red he went. Not right then.

‘Alright,’ Damen said. His palm cushioned Laurent’s jaw and guided their mouths together. Laurent’s hands wrapped themselves back in Damen’s hair, pulling him down as Laurent slid back into place. He felt the weight of Damen’s hips resting against his and couldn’t suppress a hum which rumbled deep from his chest through his throat, never quite reaching his mouth. He didn’t expect the friction to be as noticeable as it was.

Damen fiddled with the top button of Laurent’s jeans long enough to stall. Laurent nodded, knowing that affirmation was all that was needed. Damen shifted his body down further, leaving light pecks of his lips over Laurent’s clothing, down his torso. He unzipped the front of Laurent’s jeans with a speed that instead of suggesting difficulty, implied gentle teasing. Laurent’s pants made contact with the bedroom floor with a thud and crumple. Damen paused, looking at him.

‘This seems unfair,’ Laurent said. He pinched the edge of Damen’s sweatshirt. Damen lifted it and Laurent was thankful for the view. Damen’s skin pulled taut as the garment was lifted and curved over his hips as he threw it to the side. ‘Won’t you be cold?’

‘Not a chance,’ Damen said. His kisses left a tinging sensation along Laurent’s inner thighs. Laurent’s underwear became increasingly uncomfortable, a strain presenting itself. His limbs shivered from everything except the low temperature of the room. Damen looked up to him, noticing the development. Laurent’s breaths came short and sharp, desperate for any oxygen to process how much care Damen was taking. 

Damen didn’t wait for a confirmation, shimmying the last garment remaining below Laurent’s waist towards his calves then disposing them entirely. He wrapped a hand around Laurent’s cock, the touch caressing. Laurent gasped, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. There was only so much composure one could surrender in a day. Damen’s movements stilled. Laurent looked down towards him, Damen’s mouth paying too much attention to the skin joining Laurent’s thigh with his torso. Their eyes met, Laurent’s lower lip suffering the anxiety of his teeth. Damen applied his mouth, swallowing most of what Laurent had to offer.

His head hit the pillow so fast he suddenly appreciated it being there all the more. ‘Damen—.’ 

Damen kept his eyes on Laurent intermittently, checking on him. He was shaking at the knees from the attention, his hands searching for anything to grip on. Damen paused.

Laurent looked towards him, impatient but nervous. ‘Why’d you stop?’

Damen’s hold on his cock tightened, his mouth reaching for his thighs. The pressure built up perfectly, Lauren’t remaining quiet. His sounds embarrassed him. Every time he let out a gasp from the back of his hand, Damen’s teeth would gently scrape the skin of his thighs, followed by a long breath. Laurent let out a quick and poorly thought through warning. Damen sucked on the skin of Laurent’s upper thigh, finishing him.

Laurent’s breath didn’t return to him at once, but in short, delayed supplies. He took Damen’s clean hand in his as Damen reached for the tissues. Laurent appreciated the clean up, as dirty as it seemed. It added another sensation to the mix. Damen leaned up so they made eye contact and kissed him firm on lips but tasted sweet.

‘If you want to keep going, I have some stuff,’ Damen said, unsure.

‘Stuff?’

‘Uhm, lube.’

‘Oh.’ Laurent took a deep breath, not excusing his ignorance. ‘Would you mind if we left it there?’

‘Not at all.’

Laurent looked more fully at Damen, taking in the sight of his chest with slight perspiration beginning to form. His pupils were lust-blown and everything about him looked hungry. The front of his pants strained. Laurent slid his hand down Damen’s chest, resting in the dip above his navel.

‘You don’t have to.’ Damen held Laurent’s wrist in place but didn’t move it higher. Again, another choice in Laurent’s hands.

‘I know.’ Laurent shifted his weight, pushing Damen onto the bed. His hair fell over his eyes. He pushed it back as he straddled Damen’s legs, his other hand balancing him. Damen shuddered beneath him. He lowered Damen’s pants, dragging them down his legs and past his ankles. Taking Damen in his hand, he got comfortable and sat lightly on Damen’s legs. Damen’s breath came hard and fast. Laurent picked up speed, remembering the slight grunts Damen let out.

Damen didn’t have time to warn Laurent, spilling over his hand. His muscles relaxed again, mimicking Laurent’s previous position. ‘Sorry, that was—.’

‘It’s fine.’ Laurent cut him off. ‘A bit pent up?’

Damen sat up, brushing his fingers against Laurent’s neck as he caught his breath. ‘Something like that.’

‘Don’t tell me I was taking up the time you’d usually… well.’ Laurent turned and hid his face behind his hair. Though embarrassing to say it, the flush of his cheeks was worse by far. He handed Damen some of the clean tissues and kept one for himself, wiping the substance off his hand as politely as possible.

Damen’s breath caught. ‘If I said you’re wrong, I’d be lying.’

‘Yeah, that didn’t need an answer.’ Laurent looked back a him.

‘Not that I mind or anything.’ Damen sat back, giving them both some space. Laurent’s skin remembered the chill of the room.

‘Can I stay?’ Laurent asked, making eye contact. I hope this works because this is as polite as I get. He realised what he’d said as Damen’s eyes widened, then softened again in what might have been condescension.

‘Of course. You wanna go back to watching Hannibal?’

‘Would that be too awkward?’

‘Only if we forget to put pants back on.’ Damen grinned. Laurent found it contagious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick context for the massive time between updates: never give up writing for someone. They will leave you; your passion will not. I know this fandom is all up for undying love etc. but sometimes it doesn't work like that.


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